On 27 Apr 1998, Andy Rossmeissl wrote:
> Why do bacteria produce antibiotics? Isn't that kind of
counterproductive
> -- don't antibiotics kill bacteria? I'm aware that they probably do
this
> to cut down on competition but won't their own antibiotic envetually
kill
> the bacteria that made it?
NO. They are resistant againt antibiotic which made by themselves.
for example, penicillin, one of beta-lactam antibiotics which act as
a competetive inhibitor in the process of peptidoglycan synthesis.
This can be hydrolazed by b-lactamase. If a microorganism produced this
enzyme it can be resistant. Another case, if dd-peptidase which involved
in peptidoglycan synthesis would not confuse penicillin with its real
substrate it also shows resistant.